Ali Baba - BELCONNEN

Belconnen Ali Baba is not recommended for a visit. Three young people are putting in their best effort, but the chicken kabab was disappointing due to a large amount of chicken skin. This is something I have never encountered in over 20 years of dining out.

The Belconnen Ali Barber served the worst kebab I've ever had. It was cold and raw, which I didn't think was even possible. The wrap was also doughy.

I don't usually leave reviews, but I felt compelled to share my disappointment. I tried a chicken kebab from the Gungahlin location for the first time, and it will be my last. Despite requesting tahini, sweet chili, and garlic sauce for flavor, the kebab was bland and diluted. The lettuce was limp and discolored, the bread was stale, and the chicken lacked taste. This was a far cry from the delicious, fresh Lebanese kebabs I remember enjoying in the past.

I love alibaba food, and have eaten at most of them in the ACT. The Gungahlin store is a regular disappointment. Worst store by far. The vibe from the inhospitable and unhelpful staff directly translates through to the low quality of the meal. Today’s meal, a quarter-chicken meal was so tough the provide plastic cutlery couldn’t cut it. The staff served 10 other people before tending to my order and the two staff argued internally, where the “not my problem vibe was quite evident”. I ordered a meal, which had a drink included, yet was about to be charged additionally for the drink until I questioned it. Biggest let down. I had a hankering for alibaba, and had the same meal from the Belconnen store two days before. It was 100% perfect- that’s the meal and the service. Advice: avoid Gungahlin store. This is the third time I’ve been utterly disappointed (to the point I wrote here). And their menulog service is just as horrific. Avoid at all cost

While waiting for the kebab I had ordered to be made, I noticed that one of the workers at Ali Baba at the Belconnen Shopping Mall food court brought out a fully loaded meat rotisserie to place in the hot large cooking element that slowly cooks the meat. I also noted it was wrapped in plastic and further noticed that he placed the plastic wrapped meat into the hot element to start cooking with the plastic still wrapped around it. The plastic began to melt into the meat as I watched. I mentioned it to the server, and he said, “it’s OK. We’ll take it off soon.” Soon? I would think that plastic on meat in front of a hot cooking element shouldn’t be there at all. Surely, you would remove the plastic from the meat before cooking it. I’m not sure what the food regulations are about cooking meat with plastic on it, but I won’t be eating there ever again. It just seems wrong and contrary to good food safety practices. I don’t want to eat food that may have melted plastic cooked into the meat. I’m not willing to take the chance that toxins from the plastic that may be affected by heat will infuse the food. You make the decision for yourself.